Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3
Score: 78% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Capcom Developer: Backbone Entertainment Media: Download/1 Players: 1 - 3 Genre: Shooter/ Action/ Arcade
Graphics & Sound: Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 is a fun, new arcade shooter released by Capcom. It is the continuation of the Commando series of shooters with a new art style and new generation of hardware. Anyone familiar with the series will notice the new cartoon-inspired art direction this entry uses. It is very stylized, but it is clean and polished which works really well for the online community. The main characters are reminiscent of famous action movie stars such as Rambo and Arnold Schwarzenegger and all of them are animated beautifully. The game uses a cel-shading technique to accentuate the Commandos and gorgeous textures for the environment, while adding hand drawn cutscenes for special moves and storytelling. The sound and audio work out really well for the art style as well. The soundtrack plays off of the militaristic themes to incorporate trumpets and drumlines for some sweet songs while playing. The new soundtrack feels just at home in this game the same way that the Contra theme does, and all of the weapons and effects sound great and really add to the enjoyment. The only complaint is that there was a glitch or bug that would loop the machine gun sound effect even when the player isn't firing. A minor annoyance, but most players continue to fire anyway, so it won't be that noticeable.
Gameplay: Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 plays similar to Geometry Wars and other dual-stick shooters. The player has an unlimited supply of ammunition and is tasked with destroying anything that moves on the screen. In the case of WOTB, you are one of three elite commandos codenamed Wolf, Coyote, and Fox that have to destroy an enemy military base using any weapon they find. After the first level, you are captured and thrown in a military prison. Five years after your capture, you have to escape and take down an evil warlord named General Ratiev who is rising to power. Not the best story in the world, but with a game like this, story gets placed on the backburner for gameplay. The interesting thing that sets WOTB apart from those other games is the classic shooter tactics that are thrown in. Boss fights and certain enemy formations require pattern memorization and quick reflexes to succeed. Depending on which player is being used, tactics can be supplemented for brute force and a handful of grenades. All of the characters play a little differently as well. Wolf is the average guy where all of his stats are about the same. Coyote is your heavy type who sacrifices speed and ammo for a health boost. Lastly, Fox is the femme fatale that has increased speed and damage, but suffers from the lowest health average. Playing the game solo is still fun and adjusting to each character's play style is easy, but where it really shines is when you play with a friend over Xbox Live or on the same system. Co-op is really fun with all three characters on the field, but everyone shares lives so you have to work together. Towards the end of the game, it can be hard not to blame your buddy for wasting one of your lives. But being able to take on a whole army with your friend is satisfying nonetheless.
Difficulty: Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 has somewhat of a learning curve that some people won't have the patience to adjust to and enjoy the game. It really does ease the player into the difficulty and I never saw any inconsistencies in the difficulty curve. The screen becomes littered with enemies at times and it can be hard to keep track of progress on the screen, but I never felt overwhelmed. There is somewhat of a letdown because the game only has three boss fights. The first two are exactly the same with different attack patterns to contend with, while the final boss was so much fun that I wanted a boss on each of the five levels that played off the ideas of the last boss.
Game Mechanics: The controls for Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 are as simple as can be. The left stick moves the character around the battlefield and the right stick fires the weapon in the direction it is pointed. Grenades and special power-ups are assigned to both triggers, so all the tools to succeed are always where they should be. The only thing that would have been a nice addition would have been customizable controls for those players uninitiated in the world of arcade shooters. WOTB is a blast to play. One of the few things that hold the game back is that it is too short and is much more enjoyable with another player. A serious player can beat the game in just over an hour and multiplayer can take less if the team knows what they are doing. The best thing about the game is the old-school roots. If you are the type of gamer that enjoys killing a few hundred enemies in a quest for a bigger high score, then Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 is just the thing you need to relive the good old days.
-HanChi, GameVortex Communications AKA Matt Hanchey
Tank Universal City Life Edition 2008